Expansion closure device



Oct. 17, 1950 w. w. BABER 2,525,994

EXPANSION CLOSURE DEVICE Filed Aug. 51, 1946 Patented Oct. 17, 1950UNITED `STA'IES PATENT OFFICE `2,525,994 I i v i EXPANSION CLOSUREDEVICE William Wilmer }Baber,`Albermarle County, Va. Application August31, 1946, Serial No. 694,375

tion with containers housing a liquid, and which liquid is subjected tofreezing in its container.

It is a well known fact that when liquids are housed in a closed rigidcontainer, for instance an automobile engine, and when such liquidfreezes, its expansion; which is approximately one eighth of its volume,causes said container to break. The breakage, of course, is due to theexpansion of the frozen liquid being greater than the expansion of theclosed container.

A column of ice, for instance, sealed in a cast iron pipe, will, when itfreezes, generally break the sealed pipe. If, for instance, a column ofice is sealed in such a pipe; one of its ends being provided with aflexible seal, then, the ice when it freezes, will expand, and when suchexpansion of the frozen liquid or ice takes place, it will press againstthe fiexi le sealed end; which will expand, and thereby prevent thebreakage of the pipe. In other words, the sealed flexible portion isadapted to care for the greatest possible expansion of the frozenliquid.

With the foregoing illustrations, it may be readily seen how industryhas been confronted with the problems of freezing of the liquids inmechanically cooled internal combustion engines; since when the water orliquid freezes in such engine, it expands, and if the expansion is at agreater rate than the expansion of the engine; the latter generallybreaks.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a deviceadapted to be used with liq- 2 Claims. (Cl. 220-24?) view taken alonglines 4-4 of Fig. 1 and viewed in directions of the arrows.

As is Well known in the art of liquid cooled internal combustionengines, or any other type of engine, utilizing a liquid as a coolingmedium; a Water jacket generally yencompasses the parts to be cooled.

Referring to the drawings, the invention or expansion and contractiondevice is designated by uid containers to permit the expansion of afrozen liquid in such container 'without breaking the latter.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a device inoperative relation with a liquid container adapted to permit theexpansion of a frozen liquid in said container, and said device tocontract itself when said liquid thaws or melts; all of which is donewithout injury or breakage to the said container.

Other objects and features will more fully appear from the followingdescription and accompanying drawings7 in which: Fig. l is a perspectiveof an internal combustion engine showing the form of the device attachedto the side of the water jacket of said engine, and a modificationsecured to the top of the engine head; Fig. 2 a top plan view of theinvention; Fig. 3 a sectional View taken along lines 3-3 of Fig. 2viewin the direction of the arrows, and Fig. 4 a sectional the numeralI.` The device may be made in plate-like fashion and consists of aplurality of resilient springs 2 which forms the frame Work for animpervious and heat resisting cover 3.

The springs are embedded in the cover and dev tents 4-5 are formed bythe springs which are shaped in angular fashion.

A water jacket 6 of the engine is provided with an aperture 1 slightlysmaller than the device, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, and thedevice is secured over said aperture and to the jacketby bolts 8. Ametal flange 9 may be placed over the device to prevent the bolts fromcutting into the coat and also protect its edges.

Referring to the modification, the invention is constructed in similarfashion and secured to the water jacket in like manner, except that asingle detent I0 is formed by the springs as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

It is obvious from the foregoing, and with reference to Figs. 3 and 4,that when the frozen liquid begins to expand, the device being the pointof least resistance, permits such expansion, thereby relieving thepressure against other parts of the engine. The detents may be varied toprovide additional surface for the device to accommodate the requiredexpansion limit.

When the frozen liquid has melted, the devicel will resume its normalshape due to the action of the springs.

The device may be applied to any suitable portion of the liquid cooledengine and may be shaped to conform with the space it has to cover.

The greater the expansion of the frozen liquid, the greater the devicewill bulge and the detents will naturally become more shallow; but whenthe frozen liquid is melted, the device is brought to its normal shapeby the action lof the springs.

Fig. 1 shows both forms of the invention rapplied to an engine I0.

Having described this invention, what is claimed is:

l. In a device of the character described cornprising a rclosed rigidcontainer adapted to hold an expanding and contracting liquid, saidcontainer having an aperture in one of its walls,

a exible closure member secured to the edges surrounding said aperturein the container, said closure member comprising a plurality of layersof heat resistant flexible material impervious to said liquid, togetherwith a plurality of flat spring elements having inwardly extendingbulged portions embedded between said layers of flexible material,whereby said closure member is caused to flex and reflex when aninternal force is applied to and released from said closure member.

2. In a device of the character described comprising a closed rigidcontainer adapted to hold an expanding and contracting liquid, saidcontainer having an aperture in one of its walls, a exible closuremember secured to the edges surrounding said aperture in the container,said closure member comprising a plurality of layers of impervious andheat resistant flexible material, together with a plurality of resilientflat 20 1,985,198

springs having intermediate bulgeable portions embedded between saidlayers in parallel arrangement, thereby producing an exterior closuresurface having a portion of corrugationlike design thereon, said lastmentioned portion expanding outwardly on excessive internal pressure andthereby relieving the pressure against other parts of said closed rigidcontainer.

WILLIAM WILMER BABER.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 528,063 Andrewet al Oct. 23, 1894 1,305,041 Westergaard May 27, 1919 1,867,351Carpentier July 12, 1932 Williams Dec. 18, 1934

